ITSORIGIN 

CULTURE-AND 

MANUFACTURE 


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Its  Origin,  Culture,  and 
Manufacture 


ILLUSTRATED  FROM  PHOTOGRAPHS  TAKEN 
AT  THE  CORTICELLI  SILK  MILLS,  AND 
BY  COLORED  PLATES  REPRODUCED 
FROM  ORIGINAL  JAPANESE  PHO¬ 
TOGRAPHS  ESPECIALLY 
COLORED  BY 
HAND 


PRICE  50  CENTS 


ns  , 
IGSO 

ssa 

1311 


Copyrighted,  1911,  by 

THE  CORTICELLI  SILK  MILLS 

FLORENCE,  MASSACHUSETTS 
All  Rights  Reserved. 


Branch  of  the  Mulberry  Tree — Showing  Berries. 


Publishers’  Note 


A  growing  demand  from  teachers  and  others  for  a 
reliable  and  concise  book  of  information  on  silk  culture 
has  prompted  the  preparation  of  this  little  pamphlet. 

No  more  gratifying  reception  was  ever  accorded  a 
text-book  than  has  been  given  this  little  work  on  the 
origin,  culture,  and  manufacture  of  silk.  Since  the  first 
edition  published  in  1895,  the  sale  of  the  book  has  been 
truly  remarkable. 

It  is  distinctly  an  educational  work,  embracing  as  it 
does  the  most  interesting  facts  gathered  from  the  ex¬ 
perience  of  years  of  scientific  and  practical  study  devoted 
to  the  rearing  of  this  wonderful  insect.  We  may  be  par¬ 
doned  for  thinking  that  perhaps  no  other  concern  is 
better  qualified  to  undertake  the  publication  of  such  a 
work,  since  for  over  seventy  years  the  products  of  the 
Corticelli  Silk  Mills  have  been  the  recognized  standard 
of  the  silk  thread  world. 

In  presenting  this  revised  and  enlarged  edition  it  is  our 
desire  to  thank  the  thousands  of  teachers  in  the  best  and 
largest  schools,  academies,  and  colleges  throughout  the 
country  for  their  many  kind  words  of  appreciation,  and  to 
assure  them  we  are  always  ready  to  assist  in  securing  the 
specimens  necessary  for  a  proper  presentation  to  their 
pupils  of  this  most  interesting  subject.  See  pages  45 
and  46. 

The  fine  half-tone  engravings  were  made  from  photo¬ 
graphs  of  the  Corticelli  Silkworms  taken  from  life.  We 
believe  them  to  be  the  most  truthful  reproductions  of  silk¬ 
worm  life  in  existence.  The  entire  contents  of  this  book¬ 
let,  including  all  the  photographs,  are  protected  by 
copyright,  and  must  not  be  copied  or  reproduced. 

CORTICELLI  SILK  MILLS. 


5 


Silkworms  just  Hatched. 


The  Discovery  and  Introduction  of  Silk 


The  history  of  silk  starts  with  Hoang-Ti,  the  third 
Emperor  of  China,  who  charged  his  wife  and  queen,  Si- 
Ling-Chi,  to  examine  the  silkworms  and  test  the  practica¬ 
bility  of  using  the  thread  from  the  cocoons.  In  her  zeal 
she  collected  large  numbers  of  the  worms,  fed  them  her¬ 
self,  and  discovered  how  to  reel  the  silk  and  to  make  it 
into  garments.  This  was  about  1700  B.  C.,  and  for  her 
discovery  she  was  deified,  so  the  Chinese  records  say,  and 
ever  since  has  been  known  as  the  “Goddess  of  Silkworms.” 

The  wild  silkworms  or  allied  species  were  found  in 
Southern  or  Eastern  Asia,  inhabiting  the  jungles  of  India, 
Pegu,  Siam,  and  Cochin  China ;  but  the  cocoons  were  used 
only  for  carding  and  spinning,  very  much  as  spun  silk  is 
now  produced.  Meanwhile  the  Chinese  kept  their  method 
of  obtaining  the  silk  a  profound  secret  for  nearly  two 
thousand  years.  They  gave  the  silk  to  the  Persians,  who 
for  one  thousand  years,  without  knowing  how  or  from 
what  it  was  made,  carried  it  to  the  Western  Nations. 

Aristotle  was  the  first  European  to  learn  the  true  origin 
of  the  wrought  silk  brought  to  him  from  Persia  on  the 
return  from  that  country  of  Alexander’s  victorious  army. 
He  described  the  silkworm  as  a  “horned  insect,  passing 
through  several  transformations,  which  produced  ‘bom- 
bykia,’  ”  as  he  called  the  silk.  However,  for  five  hundred 
years  after  this  time  the  common  theory  of  the  origin  of 
silk,  among  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  was  quite  different, 
since  they  had  confounded  the  production  of  silk  with 
that  of  cotton. 

In  Aristotle’s  time  Pamphile  and  her  associates  in  the 
Island  of  Cos  (the  modern  Zea  in  the  ASgean  Sea)  had 
imported  raw  silk  from  Persia,  and  unraveling  it  had 
woven  a  silken  gauze,  which  from  its  transparency  was 
called  “woven  wind.”  Soon  the  Roman  ladies  followed 


7 


her  example,  substituting  for  silk  fine  threads  of  linen  or 
cotton  for  the  weft  or  filling,  and  before  long  it  became  in 
great  demand.  The  Roman  emperors  arrayed  themselves 
in  costly  silken  garments,  and  soon  laws  were  passed  re¬ 
stricting  its  use  to  the  nobility  and  to  women.  The 
Emperor  Aurelian  is  said  to  have  refused  his  empress  a 
silken  robe  on  the  ground  of  its  great  costliness. 

In  the  sixth  century  A.  D.,  all  the  raw  silk  was  still 
being  imported  from  China,  by  way  of  Persia,  when  the 
Emperor  Justinian,  having  engaged  in  war  with  Persia, 
found  his  supply  of  raw  silk  cut  off  and  the  manufacturers 
in  great  distress.  No  one,  on  pain  of  death,  was  allowed 
to  export  the  silkworm  eggs  from  China,  but  Justinian 
bribed  two  Nestorian  monks  to  return  to  that  country,  and 
in  555  they  came  back  bringing  with  them  a  quantity  of 
silkworm  eggs  concealed  in  the  hollow  of  their  pilgrims’ 
staves.  The  industry  now  spread  rapidly  over  Greece  and 
Syria,  into  Spain  in  711,  into  Sicily  and  Naples  in  the 
twelfth  century,  reaching  Italy  in  the  sixteenth  and 
France  in  the  seventeenth  century. 

For  centuries  the  finest  and  richest  silks  were  woven 
only  for  the  church,  the  nobility,  and  the  most  wealthy 
knights ;  Persia,  China,  and  the  countries  to  the  far  East 
producing  magnificent  hand  embroidered  specimens,  the 
results  of  years  of  patient  labor. 

Silk  culture  in  America  started  in  1622,  when  James  I. 
sent  silkworm  eggs,  mulberry  trees,  and  printed  instruc¬ 
tions  to  Virginia,  but  the  attempt  was  not  successful.  In 
1735  eight  pounds  of  silk  were  exported  from  Georgia, 
and  seven  hundred  pounds  in  1758,  and  over  ten  thousand 
pounds  (seventy-five  thousand  dollars’  worth)  in  1759. 

Connecticut  began  to  rear  silkworms  in  1760,  and  for 
eighty-four  years  this  state  led  all  others  in  the  amount  of 
silk  produced.  Soon  after  1769  Pennsylvania,  New  Jersey, 
New  York,  Rhode  Island,  and  Massachusetts  became  inter¬ 
ested  in  the  industry,  but  during  the  Revolution  it  was 
given  up,  and  was  not  revived  until  1826,  when  a  most 
determined  effort  was  made  to  place  silk  growing  on  a 


8 


paying  basis.  For  ten  years  all  went  well ;  several  states 
offered  premiums  and  bounties,  silk  societies  were  formed, 
and  new  machinery  was  invented  and  put  into  operation. 
But  soon  a  disturbing  element  was  introduced ;  a  great  ef¬ 
fort  was  made 
to  supplant 
the  white  mul¬ 
berry  ( Moms 
alba),  on  the 
leaves  of 
which  the 
worms  had 
been  fed,  by 
the  so-called 
Chinese  mul¬ 
berry,  the  Mo¬ 
rns  multicau- 
lis,  on  account 
of  the  supe¬ 
rior  qualities 
claimed  for  it. 

A  sudden  in¬ 
fatuation  seiz¬ 
ed  the  people, 
s  p  e  c  u  lation 
began,  and 
prices  advanc¬ 
ed  far  beyond 
their  real 

value.  Corticelli  Silkworms — Six  and  Ten  Days  Old. 

Since  1830 

Florence,  Mass.,  had  been  identified  with  the  silk  cul¬ 
ture  movement,  and  the  whole  surrounding  country  soon 
caught  the  fever,  and  as  the  excitement  increased  acies 
of  mulberry  cuttings  and  trees  were  planted.  Then  in 
1839  came  the  crash.  The  bubble  had  burst,  bringing 
ruin  to  thousands  of  persons,  and  mulberry  twigs  which 
had  been  worth  nearly  their  weight  in  gold  could  not  be 


9 


sold  for  ten  cents  a  hundred.  A  severe  winter  killed  most 
of  the  trees,  giving  the  industry  a  final  blow. 

The  company  at  Florence  gave  up  silk  growing  for  a 
few  years,  but  the  manufacture  of  Corticelli  Silk,  started 


in  1838, was  contin¬ 
ued,  and  from  that 
day  to  this  the 
products  of  the  fa¬ 
mous  Corticelli  Silk 
Mills  have  always 
enjoyed  an  envia¬ 
ble  but  well  earned 
reputation  for  su¬ 
periority. 

It  is  a  fact  not 
generally  appre¬ 
ciated  that  silk  is 
the  strongest  fiber 
known  to  science 
as  well  as  the 
only  fiber  which  is 
proof  against  decay 
caused  by  damp¬ 
ness.  Cotton  will 
soon  mildew  and 
rot  away,  while 
silk  is  in  its  ele¬ 
ment  when  wet, 
and  may  even  be 
soaked  in  water 
without  impairing 
its  strength.  In 
these  days  of  keen  competition  many  imitations  of  silk 
are  sold  under  various  fancy  and  deceptive  names,  but  no 
substitute  invented  by  man  can  replace  the  wonderful 
woi  k  of  nature  and  the  Corticelli  Silkworm. 


Gathering  Mulberry  Leaves. 


10 


The  Silkworm 


The  wonderful  insect  that  makes  the  silk  is  the  larva  of 
a  small  moth  called  Sericaria  mori.  This  moth  is  classed 
with  the  Lepidoptera,  or  scaly  winged  insects,  family 
Bombycidse,  or  spinners.  This  species  of  caterpillar  is 
commonly  called  the  Mulberry  Silkworm.  First  reared  in 
China,  it  is  now  extensively  cultivated  in  China,  Japan, 
Italy,  France,  Spain,  and  other  European  countries. 
Owing  to  the  greater  value  of  labor  here,  the  United 
States  cannot  compete  with  these  countries  in  the  pro¬ 
duction  of  raw  silk. 

The  silkworm  has  become  domesticated,  since,  during 
the  long  centuries  in  which  it  has  been  cultivated,  it  has 
acquired  many  useful  peculiarities.  Man  has  striven  to 
increase  its  silk  producing  power,  and  in  this  he  has  suc¬ 
ceeded,  for,  by  comparing  the  cocoon  of  the  silkworm  of 
to-day  with  its  wild  relations,  the  Corticelli  cocoon  is  found 
to  be  much  larger,  even  in  proportion  to  the  size  of  the 
worm  that  makes  it  or  the  moth  that  issues  from  it.  The 
moth’s  loss  of  the  power  of  flight  and  the  white  color  of 
the  species  are  probably  the  results  of  domestication. 

The  silk  moth  exists  in  four  states — egg,  larva,  chrys¬ 
alis,  and  adult.  The  egg  of  the  moth  is  nearly  round, 
slightly  flattened,  and  closely  resembles  a  turnip  seed. 
When  first  laid  it  is  yellow,  soon  turning  a  gray  or  slate 
color  if  impregnated.  It  has  a  small  spot  on  one  end  called 
the  micropyle,  and  when  the  worm  hatches,  which  in  our 
climate  is  about  the  first  of  June,  it  gnaws  a  hole  through 
this  spot.  Black  in  color,  scarcely  an  eighth  of  an  inch  in 
length,  covered  with  long  hair,  with  a  shiny  nose,  and 
sixteen  small  legs,  the  baby  worm  is  born,  leaving  the 
shell  of  the  egg  white  and  transparent. 

Small  and  tender  leaves  of  the  white  mulberry  ( Morus 
alba ) ,  or  osage  orange  ( Maclura  aurantiaca ) ,  are  fed,  the 


11 


Feeding  Mulberry  Leaves  to  Corticelli  Silkworms. 


young  worm  simply  piercing  them  and  sucking  the  sap. 
Soon  the  worm  becomes  large  enough  to  eat  the  tender 
portions  between  the  veins  of  the  leaf.  In  eating  they 
hold  the  leaves  by  the  six  forward  feet,  and  then  cut  off 
semi-circular  slices  from  the  leaf’s  edge  by  the  sharp  upper 
portion  of  the  mouth. 

The  jaws  move  side- 
wise,  and  several 
thousand  worms  eat¬ 
ing  make  a  noise  like 
falling  rain. 

The  C  o  r  t i c  e 1 1 i 
worms  are  kept  on 
trays  made  of  mat¬ 
ting,  that  are  placed 
on  racks  for  conven¬ 
ience  in  handling. 

The  leaves  are  placed 
beside  the  worms,  or 
upon  a  slatted  orper- 
forated  tray  placed 
above  them,  and 
those  that  crawl  off 
are  retained,  while 
the  weak  ones  are 
removed  with  the 
old  leaves.  The 
worms  breathe 
through  spiracles, 
small  holes  which  look  like  black  spots,  one  row  of  nine 
down  each  side  of  the  body.  They  have  no  eyes,  but  are 
quite  sensitive  to  a  jar,  and  if  you  hit  the  rack  they  stop 
eating  and  throw  their  heads  to  one  side.  They  are  velvety, 
smooth,  and  cold  to  the  touch,  and  the  flesh  is  firm,  almost 
hard.  The  pulsation  of  the  blood  may  be  traced  on  the 
back  of  the  worm,  running  towards  the  head. 

The  worm  has  four  molting  seasons,  at  each  of  which 
it  sheds  its  old  skin  for  a  new  one,  since  in  the  very  rapid 


Silkworms  about  Eighteen  Days  Old. 


13 


Selecting  Corticelli  Silkworms  That  are  Ready  to  Spin. 


growth  of  the 
worm  the  old  skin 
cannot  keep  pace 
with  the  growth 
of  the  body.  The 
periods  between 
these  different 
molts  are  called 
“ages,”  there  be¬ 
ing  five,  the  first 
extending  from 
the  time  of  hatch¬ 
ing  to  the  end  of 
the  first  molt,  and 
the  last  from  the 
end  of  the  fourth 
molt  to  the  trans¬ 
formation  of  the 
insect  into  a 
chrysalis.  The 
time  between  the  Corticelli  silkworm  eating. 

four  “molts”  will 

be  found  to  vary,  depending  upon  the  species  of  worm. 

When  the  worm  molts  it  ceases  eating,  grows  slightly 
lighter  in  color,  fastens  itself  firmly  by  the  ten  prolegs, 
and  especially  by  the  last  two,  to  some  object,  and  holding 
up  its  head  and  the  fore  part  of  its  body  remains  in  a  torpid 


Full  Grown  Silkworm,  Showing  Position  in  Molting. 


15 


state  for  near¬ 
ly  two  days. 
For  a  day  or 
two  previous 
to  molting'  a 
dark  spot  is 
noticed  just 
above  the  nose 
of  the  worm, 
from  which 
the  head 


emerges  ap¬ 
parently  re- 
n  e  w  e  d.  In 
Silkworm  Preparing  to  Form  its  Cocoon.  molting  the 

old  skin 

breaks  at  the  nose,  the  head  is  pushed  out,  and  the  worm 
by  wriggling  and  twisting  gradually  works  the  old  skin 
back  from  segment  to  segment  until  entirely  cast  off. 
Weak  and  feeble,  it  gains  strength  by  resting,  and  then, 
freshened,  supple,  and  hungry,  goes  to  work  eating  again 
with  renewed  vigor  and  apparently  determined  to  make  up 
for  lost  time. 

By  each 
successive 
molt  the 


Cocoon  Begun — Silkworm  can  still  be  Seen. 


worm  grows 
lighter,  finally 
becoming  a 
slate  or  cream 
white  color, 
and  the  hair, 
which  was 
long  at  first, 
gradually  dis¬ 
appears.  Two 
days  after  the 
third  molt. 


10 


when  the  worm  is  fifteen  days  old,  it  is  three  quarters  of 
an  inch  long,  and  just  after  the  last  molt  it  is  one  and  a 
fourth  inches  long.  If  its  growth  seemed  rapid  before,  it 
is  as  nothing  compared  to  its  growth  now.  In  six  days  it 
grows  from  one  and  a  fourth  to  two  inches  in  length,  and 
in  three  days  more 
becomes  fully  three 
inches  in  length.  It 
is  an  interesting  fact 
that  nearly  or  quite 
three  fourths  of  the 
silk  the  worm  spins 
is  made  or  secreted 
in  these  last  two  or 
three  days.  How¬ 
ever,  at  all  ages  and 
times  the  worm  se- 
cretes  silk  with 
which  to  protect  it¬ 
self  from  injury,  for 
when  in  danger  of 
falling  it  instantly 
fastens  a  silken 
thread  to  whatever 
it  may  be  standing 
upon.  In  case  of 
accident,  the  worm 
uses  this  thread, 
which  is  strong 
enough  to  sustain  its 
weight,  as  a  ladder 
to  go  either  up  or  down.  In  ascending  the  thread  is  wound 
around  its  forelegs  to  shorten  it.  When  the  worm  is 
young  the  thread  is  so  fine  as  to  be  almost  invisible,  yet 
it  is  always  strong  enough  to  sustain  the  worm. 

Having  attained  full  growth,  the  worm  is  ready  to  spin 
its  cocoon.  It  loses  its  appetite,  shrinks  nearly  an  inch  in 
length,  grows  nearly  transparent,  often  acquiring  a  pink- 


COMPEETED  CORTICELLI  COCOON. 


17 


Placing  the  Corticelli  Worms  that  are  Ready  to  Spin  on  Twigs  or  Branches. 


ish  hue,  becomes  restless,  seeks  a  quiet  place  or  corner, 
and  moves  its  head  from  side  to  side  in  an  effort  to  find 
objects  on  which  to  attach  its  guy  lines  within  which  to 


Corticelli  Cocoons  as  Spun  by  Silkworms  in  a  Bundle 

of  Straw. 

build  its  cocoon.  The  silk  is  elaborated  in  a  semi-fluid 
condition  in  two  long,  convoluted  vessels  or  glands  between 
the  prolegs  and  head,  one  upon  each  side  of  the  alimentary 
canal.  As  these  vessels  approach  the  head  they  grow 


19 


Picking  Corticelli  Cocoons  from  the  Branches 


more  slender,  and  finally  unite  within  the  spinneret,  a  small 
double  orifice  below  the  mouth,  from  which  the  silk  issues 
in  a  glutinous  state  and  apparently  in  a  single  thread. 


Coeticelli  Cocoons  from  which  the  Moths  have 

Emerged. 


The  gummy  liquid  which  combines  the  two  strands  hard¬ 
ens  immediately  on  exposure  to  the  air. 

The  worm  works  incessantly,  forcing  the  silk  out  by 
the  contraction  of  its  body.  The  thin,  gauze-like  network 
which  soon  surrounds  it  gradually  thickens,  until,  twenty- 
four  hours  after  beginning  to  spin,  the  worm  is  nearly 
hidden  from  view.  However,  the  cocoon  is  not  completed 
for  about  three  days. 

The  cocoon  is  tough,  strong,  and  compact,  composed  of 
a  firm,  continuous  thread,  which  is,  however,  not  wound 

in  concen¬ 
tric  circles, 
but  irregu¬ 
larly  in 
short  figure 
eight  loops, 
first  in  one 
place  and 
then  in  an¬ 
other.  The 
motion  o  f 
the  worm’s 

Moths  Emerging  from  Corticelu  Cocoons.  head  when 


21 


Side  View  of 
Chrysalis. 


starting  the  cocoon  is  very  rapid,  and 
nine  to  twelve  inches  of  silk  flow  from 
the  spinneret  in  a  minute,  but  later  the 
average  would  be  about  half  this 
amount  per  minute. 

The  silk  secretion,  on  account  of  its 
transparency,  is  sometimes  used  for 
snells,  the  tough,  sinew-like  cords  by 
which  fishhooks  are  attached  to  longer 
lines,  and  in  foreign  countries  large  num¬ 
bers  of  worms  are  annually  used  for  this  purpose.  When 
the  worm  is  ready  to  spin,  after  being  steeped  in  strong 
chemicals,  the  silk  glands  are  taken  from  its  body,  and 
are  dexterously  drawn  out  to  the  desired  length.  One  gland 


Rottom  View 
Chrysalis. 


of 


is  usually  sufficient  for  two  and 
sometimes  for  three  fishhooks. 

The  color  of  the  worm’s  pro¬ 
legs  before  spinning  indicates 
the  color  the  cocoon  will  be.  This 
varies  in  different  species,  and 
may  be  a  silvery  white,  cream, 
yellow,  lemon,  or  green. 

When  the  worm  has  finished 
spinning,  it  is  one  and  a  quarter 
inches  long.  Two  days  later,  by 
a  final  molt,  its  dried-up  skin 
breaks  at  the  nose  and  is 
crowded  back  off  the  body, 
revealing  the  chrysalis,  an 
oval  cone  one  inch  in  length. 
It  is  a  light  yellow  in  color, 
and  immediately  after  molting 
is  soft  to  the  touch.  The  ten 
prolegs  of  the  worm  have 
disappeared,  the  four  wings 
of  the  future  moth  are  folded 
over  the  breast,  together  with 
Corticei.li  Silk  Snells.  the  six  legs  and  two  feelers, 


Two  Silk.  Glands  Taken 
from  One  Corttcei.li 
Silkworm. 


22 


<"C  •  V— - 
V V '•  - 


Male  Corticelli  Moth. 


Female  Corticelli  Moth. 


or  antennae.  It  soon  turns 
brown,  and  the  skin  hardens 
into  a  tough  shell.  Nature 
provides  the  cocoon  to  pro¬ 
tect  the  worm  from  the  ele¬ 
ments  while  it  is  being 
transformed  into  a  chrys¬ 
alis,  and  thence  into  the 
moth. 

With  no  jaws,  and  con¬ 
fined  within  the  narrow 
space  of  the  cocoon,  the 
moth  has  some  difficulty 
in  escaping.  After  two  or 
three  weeks  the  shell  of 
the  chrysalis  bursts,  and  the  moth  ejects  against  the  end 
of  the  cocoon  a  strongly  alkaline  liquid  which  moistens 
and  dissolves  the  hard,  gummy  lining.  Pushing  aside 
some  of  the  silken  threads  and  breaking  others,  with 
crimped  and  damp  wings  the  moth  emerges ;  and  the  exit 
once  effected,  the  wings  soon  expand  and  dry. 

The  escape  of  the  moth,  however,  breaks  so  many 
threads  that  the  cocoons  are  ruined  for  reeling,  and  con¬ 
sequently,  when  ten  days  old,  all  those  not  intended  for 
seed  are  placed  in  a  steam  heater  to  stifle  the  chrysalis, 
and  the  silk  may  then  be  reeled  at  any  future  time. 

The  moths  are  cream  white 
in  color.  They  have  no  mouths, 

*  « 

.  *  but  do  have  eyes,  which  is  just 

'•  the  reverse  of  the  case  of  the 

•  .  •  •  worm.  From  the  time  it  be- 

B*  ***  **  gins  to  spin  until  the  moth 

•  *.  .  *.'*.’**  'I  "  dies,  the  insect  takes  no  nour- 

*  *  V-  *  .  ishment.  The  six  forward 

•.*.  *  •*  *-*  legs  of  the  worm  become  the 

•  *  .  *  *  legs  of  the  moth.  Soon  after 

mating  the  eggs  are  laid. 

Eocs  OF  THE  Silkworm  moth.  The  male  has  broader  feel- 


23 


Weighing  and  Sorting  Corticelli  Cocoons. 


ers  than  the  female,  is  smaller  in  size,  and  quite  active. 
The  female  lays  half  her  eggs,  rests  a  few  hours,  and  then 
lays  the  remainder.  Her  two  or  three  days’  life  is  spent 
within  a  space  occupying  less  than  six  inches  in  diameter. 

One  moth  lays  from  three  to  four  hundred  eggs,  depos¬ 
iting  them  over  an  even  surface.  In  some  species  a 
gummy  liquid  sticks  the  eggs  to  the  object  upon  which 
they  are  laid.  In  the  large  cocoon  varieties  there  are  full 
thirty  thousand  eggs  in  a  single  ounce  avoirdupois.  It 
takes  from  twenty-five  hundred  to  three  thousand  cocoons 


A  Bale  oe  Raw  Silk  and  the  “Books”  it  Contains. 


to  make  a  pound  of  reeled  silk.  Do  you  wonder  that, 
centuries  ago,  silk  was  valued  at  its  weight  in  gold? 

Growers  of  silk  in  the  United  States,  by  working  early 
and  late  every  day  during  the  season,  which  lasts  from  six 
to  eight  weeks,  could  scarcely  average  fifteen  cents  for  a 
day’s  labor  of  ten  hours.  Silk,  once  regarded  as  a  luxury, 
is  now  considered  a  necessity,  and  no  one  concern  has  done 
more  to  make  this  possible  than  the  Corticelli  Silk  Mills. 
In  fact,  Corticelli  Silk  holds  the  world’s  record  for  superi¬ 
ority,  having  won  40  Highest  Awards  at  Expositions  held 
in  the  United  States  and  abroad. 


Skeins  or  "Hanks"  of  Corticelli  Raw  Silk,  First  Sorted  as  to  Color,  then  Tied  and 

Pressed  into  Square  Bundles  Called  “Books.” 


Reeling  the  Silk  from  the  Cocoons 


Reeling  the  silk  from  the  cocoons  is  not  often  done  in 
the  United  States,  as  most  of  the  raw  material  which  is 
imported  comes  reeled  all  ready  for  the  manufacturer. 

The  cocoons  are  first  assorted,  those  of  the  same  color 
being  placed  by  themselves,  and  those  of  fine  and  coarse 
texture  likewise.  The  outside  loose  silk  is  then  removed, 
as  this  cannot  be  reeled,  after  which  the  cocoons  are 
plunged  into  warm  water  to  soften  the  “gum”  which 
sticks  the  threads  together.  The  operator  brushes  the 
cocoons  with  a  small  broom,  to  the  straws  of  which  their 
fibers  become  attached,  and  then  carefully  unwinds  the 
loose  silk  until  each  cocoon  shows  but  one  thread.  These 
three  operations  are  called  “soaking,”  “brushing,”  and 
“cleansing.” 

Into  one  or  two  compartments  in  a  basin  of  warm  water 
below  the  reel  are  placed  four  or  more  cocoons,  according 
to  the  size  of  the  thread  desired.  The  threads  from  the 
cocoons  in  each  compartment  are  gathered  together  and, 
after  passing  through  two  separate  perforated  agates  a 
few  inches  above  the  surface  of  the  water,  are  brought 
together  and  twisted  around  each  other  several  times,  then 
separated  and  passed  upward  over  the  traverse  guide-eyes 
to  the  reel.  See  Colored  Plate  “Reeling  the  Silk  from 
Corticelli  Cocoons”  by  foot  power.  The  traverse  moves  to 
and  fro  horizontally,  distributing  the  thread  in  a  broad 
band  over  the  surface  of  the  reel.  The  rapid  crossing  of 
the  thread  from  side  to  side  of  the  skein  in  reeling  facili¬ 
tates  handling  and  unwinding  without  tangling,  the  nat¬ 
ural  gum  of  the  silk  sticking  the  threads  to  each  other  on 
the  arms  of  the  reel,  thus  securing  the  traverse.  Silk 
reeled  by  hand  or  foot  power  is  known  as  “Re-reel”  silk, 
while  silk  reeled  by  power  machinery  is  called  “Filature.” 

The  fiber  of  the  cocoon  is  somewhat  finer  at  the  begin¬ 
ning,  thickens  at  the  point  of  forming  the  more  compact 


27 


lEELING  THE  SlLK  FROM  CORTICELLI  COCOONS  BY  FOOT  FOWER,  CALLED  “RE-REEL'’  SlLK. 


part,  and  then  very  gradually  diminishes  in  diameter  until 
it  becomes  so  fine  as  to  be  incapable  of  standing  the  strain 
of  reeling.  This  is  because  the  silk  from  one  of  the  worm’s 
two  glands  is  exhausted,  leaving  but  one  half  the  original 
fiber. 

When  one  of  the  threads  breaks  or  the  end  of  one  cocoon 
is  reached,  the  reeler  takes  a  fresh  one,  and  with  thumb 


Drying  Corticelli  Raw  Silk  after  Soaking  it  in  Water  to 
Soften  the  Natural  Gum. 

and  forefinger  as  shown  by  the  Colored  Plate  dexterously 
twists  its  end  around  the  running  thread,  of  which  from 
that  moment  it  becomes  a  constituent  part. 

Imported  raw  silk  comes  in  skeins  of  from  one  to  sev¬ 
eral  ounces,  packed  into  bundles  called  “books,”  weigh¬ 
ing  from  five  to  ten  pounds.  In  China  and  Japan  the  books 
are  usually  sold  in  bales  varying  from  one  hundred  to  one 
hundred  and  sixty  pounds. 


29 


Filature — Reeling  the  Silk  from  Corticelli  Cocoons  by  Power  Machinery. 


How  Silk  is  Manufactured 


The  Corticelli  raw  silk  is  first  assorted,  according  to  the 
size  of  the  fiber,  as  fine,  medium,  and  coarse.  The  skeins 
are  put  into  canvas  bags  and  then  soaked  over  night  in 
warm  soapsuds.  This  is  necessary  to  soften  the  natural 
gum  in  the  silk,  which  had  stuck  the  threads  together  on 


Winding  Corticelli  Raw  Silk. 


the  arms  of  the  reel.  Following  the  soaking,  the  skeins 
are  straightened  out  and  hung  across  poles  in  a  steam- 
heated  room,  as  shown  in  the  accompanying  photograph. 
When  the  skeins  are  dry,  they  are  ready  for  the  first 
process  of  manufacturing.  The  room  we  now  step  into  is 
filled  with  “winding  frames,”  each  containing  two  long 


31 


rows  of  “swifts,”  from  which  the  silk  is  wound  on  to 
bobbins.  The  bobbins  are  large  spools  about  three  inches 
long.  The  bobbins  filled  with  silk,  as  wound  from  the 
skeins,  are  next  placed  on  pins  of  the  “doubling  frames” ; 
the  thread  from  several  bobbins,  according  to  the  size  of 
the  silk  desired,  is  passed  upward  through  drop  wires  on 
to  another  bobbin.  Should  one  of  the  threads  break,  the 


Combining  Several  Single  Strands  of  Raw  Silk  Prepara¬ 
tory  to  Spinning.  This  Process  is  Called  “Doubling.” 


“drop  wire”  falls,  which  action  stops  the  bobbin.  By 
this  ingenious  device  absolute  uniformity  in  the  size  of 
Corticelli  silk  is  secured.  The  “doubling  frame”  is 
shown  in  one  of  the  photographs,  and  another  photograph 
shows  an  enlarged  view  of  this  frame,  giving  an  idea  of 
the  four  sections,  on  each  of  which  are  running  nine 
bobbins. 

The  bobbins  taken  from  the  “doubling  frame”  are 
next  placed  on  a  “spinner.”  Driven  by  an  endless  belt, 
at  the  rate  of  over  six  thousand  turns  a  minute,  the  bobbins 
revolve,  the  silk  from  them  being  drawn  upward  on  to 
another  bobbin.  This  spins  the  several  strands  brought 
together  by  the  “doubling  process”  into  one  thread,  the 


32 


number  of  turns  depending  on  the  kind  of  Corticelli  silk — 
Filo  silk  being  spun  quite  slack,  and  Machine  Twist  just 

the  reverse. 

A  transferring 
machine  combines 
two  or  three  of  these 
strands ;  two  for 
sewing  silk  and 
three  for  machine 
twist;  and  the  bob¬ 
bin  next  goes  on  to 
the  “twisting  ma¬ 
chine” — a  machine 
that  is  similar  to  a 
“spinner,”  but  the 
silk  is  twisted  in  the 
opposite  direction 
from  the  spinning. 
To  stand  before 
these  machines  and 
watch  how  rapidly 
and  how  accurately 
they  do  the  work 
assigned  them  is  a 
revelation.  No  one 
realizes  how  nicely 
the  parts  are  ad¬ 
justed.  If  but  one 
tiny  strand  breaks 
that  part  of  the  ma¬ 
chinery  is  stopped 
by  an  automatic  de¬ 
vice  which  works 
instantaneously  and 
the  operator  then  repairs  the  broken  fiber.  As  a  result 
only  perfect  silk  can  be  made.  You  see,  Corticelli  is 
simply  another  name  for  perfection. 

After  twisting,  the  silk  is  stretched  by  an  ingenious 


Enlarged  View  of  “Doubling”  Frame 
Showing  Drop  Wire  Device  That 
Insures  the  Perfectly  Even  Size  of 
all  Corticelli  Silk. 


t 


33 


Spinning 

Corticelli 

Silk 


machine  called  a  “water- 
stretcher.”  This  smoothes 
and  consolidates  the  constit¬ 
uent  fibers,  giving  an  even¬ 
ness  to  Corticelli  silk  not  to 
be  obtained  by  any  other 
known  process.  The  bob¬ 
bins  are  placed  in  water  and 
the  silk  is  wound  on  to  the 
lower  of  the  two  copper  rolls. 
From  the  lower  roll  it  passes 
upward  to  the  upper  roll, 
which  turns  faster  than  the 
lower  one,  thereby  stretch¬ 
ing  the  silk.  From  the  up¬ 
per  roll  it  passes  again  on 
to  a  bobbin,  only  to  be  again 
reeled  off  into  hanks  when  it  is  ready  for  the  dye  house. 

The  dyeing  process  is  a  very  important  one, 
and  upon  its  success  depends  the  permanency  of 
the  various  colors.  The  Corticelli  dye  house  is 
a  model,  and  the  results  that  come  from  it  are 
the  achievement  of  years  of  scientific  investi¬ 
gation  and  experi¬ 
menting.  Vast 
tubs,  tanks,  and 
kettles  surround 
you  on  every  side, 
and  the  hissing 
steam  seems  to 
spring  from  all 
quarters.  The 
“gum”  of  the  silk 
is  first  boiled  out 
by  immersion  in 
strong  soapsuds 
for  about  four 

Twisting  Corticelli  Silk.  hours.  The  at- 


35 


tendants,  standing  in  heavy  “clogs”  (big  shoes  with 
wooden  soles  two  inches  thick) ,  turn  the  silk  on  the  sticks 
at  intervals  until  the  gum  is  removed.  After  the  silk  is 
dyed  it  is  put  into  a  “steam  finisher,”  a  device  looking 
like  a  long,  narrow  box  with  a  cover  opening  on  the  side, 
set  upright  on  top  of  an  iron  cylinder.  The  hanks  of  silk 
are  placed  upon  two  pins  in  the  steam  chest,  the  cover 
fastened,  and  the  live  steam  rushes  in  around  the  silk. 


Cobticelli  Water  Stretcher. 

This  brightens  the  silk,  giving  it  the  lustrous,  glossy 
appearance  noticeable  in  all  Corticelli  goods.  The  silk 
comes  from  this  machine  quite  stiff,  and  the  hanks  are 
next  placed  on  the  “stringer,”  which  twists  the  hank 
first  in  one  direction  and  then  in  the  other,  as  one  would 
wring  out  water.  There  is  no  water  in  the  silk,  however, 
but  this  action  makes  the  silk  smooth  and  soft.  Many  of 
the  machines  used  by  this  company  are  of  their  own  inven¬ 
tion,  patented  and  controlled  by  them,  which,  together 
with  the  experience  of  over  seventy-three  years  in  silk 


36 


manufacturing,  enables  them  to  produce  silk  goods  of 
unequaled  quality  and  of  exceptional  luster  and  brilliancy. 

From  the  large  skeins  the  silk  is  again  wound  on  to 
bobbins,  and  then  spooled,  balled,  coned,  braided,  or 
skeined,  according  to  the  kind  of  silk  and  the  use  for 
which  it  is  intended.  Rows  of  girls,  seated  at  the  rapidly 
revolving  spindles  of  the  spooling  machines, 
change  the  big  bobbins  to  100-yard  spools  of 


Reeling  Corticelli  Silk  into  Skeins  to  Send  to  the 

Dye  House. 


Corticelli  Spool  Silk.  The  accompanying  illustration 
shows  a  young  lady  spooling  ounce  spools  of  white  Corti¬ 
celli  Machine  Twist.  The  balling  machine  is  equally  inter¬ 
esting,  as  one  watches  sixteen  empty  wooden  spools  trans¬ 
formed  as  if  by  magic,  in  less  than  three  minutes,  into 
sixteen  symmetrical  balls  of  Corticelli  Crochet  Silk. 

Then  come  the  labeling  and  the  boxing,  and  the  goods 
are  taken  to  the  stock  room,  where  huge  shelves,  arranged 
in  tiers,  are  filled  high  with  silk  of  every  description, 
from  the  very  finest  OOO  to  the  coarsest  size,  and  from 
the  tiny  spools  of  Corticelli  Buttonhole  Twist  to  the  big 
ounce  spools  of  Corticelli  Machine  Twist.  From  the  stock 


37 


v*.  *»r 


Filature — Rewinding  Corticelli  Silk  from  the  Small  Reels  into  Large  Skeins. 


room  are  shipped  each  day,  to  the  eight  wholesale  city 
salesrooms  of  this  company,  case  after  case,  packed  snugly 
with  neat  boxes  all  filled  with  spools  or  skeins  of  silk, 
which  find  their  way  into  the  stores  of  nearly  every  mer¬ 
chant  in  the  land. 

The  various  uses  made  of  silk  are  truly  wonderful. 
Some  of  the  ones  not  generally  known  are  here  given. 
The  electrician  uses  it  for  insulating  wires  for  the  incan¬ 
descent  lamps,  for  filaments  within  the  same,  carbonizing 
it  for  this  purpose;  the  surgeon  to  tie  arteries  and  sew 
together  cuts  in  the  flesh,  and  to  cover  silk  cloth  with 
gum-tragacanth  for  adhesive  and  non-poisonous  plasters 

for  wounds  and  abrasions;  the  dentist 
to  clean  between  the  teeth  and  tie  the 
pellicle  in  filling;  the  book  maker  to 
tie  his  little  fancy  booklets  and  cards; 

the  surveyor  to 
calculate  the 
curve  of  the 
earth ;  and  the 
fisherman  to 
stiffen  his  rod  by 


Stringing  Corticeixi  Silk. 


A  View  in  the  Dye  House  of  the  Corticelui  Stlk  Mills. 


winding  or  to  snell  the  hook  with  which  he  deceives  the 
wary  fish. 

The  variety  of  goods  made  at  the  Corticelli  Silk  Mills  is 
a  surprise  to  almost  every  one.  Corticelli  spool  silk  is  of 
course  a  familiar  object  in  every  household,  as  few  indeed 
are  the  workbaskets  that  do  not  contain  one  or  more  of 
these  100-yard  spools.  Besides 


this,  there  is  Corticelli  machine 
twist,  sewing  silk,  crochet  silk, 
knitting  silk,  lace  silk,  filo  silk, 

Persian  floss,  Roman  floss,  rope 
silk,  etching  silk,  twisted  em¬ 
broidery  silk,  buttonhole  twist, 
dental  floss,  surgeons’  silk, 
darning  silk,  and  purse  twist. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  most 
enormous  uses  to  which  the 
product  of  the  Corticelli  Mills  is 
put,  is  that  of  embroidery  and 
art  needlework.  It  is  a  truly 
feminine  accomplishment,  some¬ 
times  even  excelling  an  artist’s 
brush  in  the  exquisite  work¬ 
manship  displayed.  Corticelli 
embroidery  silk  ranks  first  in 
popular  favor  for  this  work,  not 
only  on  account  of  its  smooth¬ 
ness  and  luster,  but  for  its  abso¬ 
lutely  fast  color.  The  perfec¬ 
tion  of  the  multitudinous  colors  _  ^ 

.  Steam  Finisher. 

and  almost  indefinable  grada¬ 
tions  of  hue  enables  the  embroiderer  to  shade  the  petals 
so  as  to  closely  imitate  the  real  bloom  of  the  flowers. 

To  meet  a  growing  demand  from  teachers,  students, 
schools,  and  museums  interested  in  instructing  children 
how  silk  is  made,  this  company  has  prepared  a  “Silk  Cul¬ 
ture  Cabinet.”  This  is  a  wonderfully  interesting  case, 
substantially  made  and  nicely  finished,  and  shows  every 


41 


Corticelli  Silk  Mills — The  Greatest  Silk  Thread  Works  in  the  World. 


step  in  the  culture  of  this  wonderful  insect.  It  contains 
small  bottles,  hermetically  sealed,  with  the  eggs  of  the 
moth,  and  the  silkworms  in  different  stages  of  develop¬ 
ment,  from  a  few  days  old  to  the  full  grown  worm ;  also 
the  chrysalis,  the  moth,  cocoons,  and  specimens  of  reeled 
and  manufactured  silk.  These  cabinets  sell  for  two  and  a 


Spooling  Corticelli  Machine  Twist. 

half  dollars  apiece,  and  so  great  is  the  demand  for  them 
from  institutions  and  schools  all  over  the  country,  that  the 
company  can  hardly  supply  them  fast  enough.  The  value 
of  the  cabinet  is  apparent  at  once  to  any  one  interested 
in  education,  and  many  of  the  largest  and  best  schools  in 
the  country  have  already  secured  one  of  them  to  place  in 
their  museums.  To  accompany  the  cabinet  is  a  Teachers’ 
Silk  Culture  Chart,  which  is  intended  to  hang  on  the  wall 
of  the  schoolroom.  This  sells  for  twenty  cents.  See 
page  47.  Together  they  make  it  possible  for  any  teacher  to 
give  an  object  lesson  of  exceeding  interest  to  all  children. 


43 


The  luster  of  a  silk  gown  is  pleasing  to  the  eye,  and 
its  fascinating  rustle  gives  warning  to  the  blind  of  the 
approach  of  a  lady;  but  do  the  ladies  thus  charmingly 
attired  realize  that  thousands  of  lowly  silkworms  have 
given  up  their  home  tents  (cocoons) ,  and  necessarily  their 
lives,  to  supply  material  for  even  one  such  gown?  These 
cocoons,  so  skillfully  constructed  by  eyeless  worms,  are 
the  tents  in  which  they  go  through  Nature’s  wonderful 


Teachers’  Silk  Culture  Cabinet. 


evolutions,  and  from  which  they  emerge  butterflies  or 
moths — with  eyes,  but  no  mouths — to  live  only  a  day  or 
two  for  purposes  of  reproduction. 

The  quantity  of  raw  silk  used  each  year  by  the  Corticelli 
Mills  can  scarcely  be  comprehended.  Figures  almost  lose 
their  meaning.  Briefly  and  approximately  stated,  three 
thousand  cocoons  will  yield  one  pound  of  silk  fiber  about 
seven  hundred  and  fifty  miles  in  length ;  and  as  one  thou¬ 
sand  pounds  are  used  daily  by  the  Corticelli  Silk  Mills 
in  the  manufacture  of  Corticelli  silk  thread,  it  follows  that 
the  product  of  three  million  cocoons  is  required,  yielding 
an  aggregate  length  of  seven  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
miles  of  cocoon  fiber,  to  operate  the  mills  one  day.  About 
one  hundred  cocoon  fibers  are  required  to  make  medium 
thickness  sewing  silk,  hence  the  daily  product  of  Corticelli 
Silk  Mills  is  about  seven  thousand  five  hundred  miles  of 
finished  silk  thread — enough  to  girdle  the  world  in  three 
and  one-third  days. 


44 


Teachers’  Silk  Culture  Cabinet 

The  engraving  on  opposite  page  gives  an  accurate  idea 
of  the  Corticelli  Silk  Culture  Cabinet  originated  and  intro¬ 
duced  by  us.  It  is  made  of  cherry,  handsomely  finished  and 
varnished,  with  glass  top  sealed  to  prevent  dust  getting 
inside.  The  cabinet  measures  5  X  12  inches  and  contains 
the  following  handsomely  mounted  specimens : — 

1  Eggs  of  the  Silkworm  Moth.  ( Sericaria  mori.) 

2  Silkworm  10  days  old.  Preserved  in  Alcohol. 

3  Silkworm  20  days  old.  Preserved  in  Alcohol. 

4  Silkworm  30  days  old.  Preserved  in  Alcohol. 

5  Chrysalis.  Preserved  in  Alcohol. 

6  Cocoon,  pierced  by  escaping  moth. 

7  Moth,  mounted  by  latest  improved  process. 

8  Cocoon  as  spun  by  Silkworm. 

9  Cocoon,  floss  removed,  ready  for  reeling. 

10  Skein  of  Raw  Silk  ready  to  manufacture. 

11  Spool  of  Corticelli  Spool  Silk,  size  A. 

The  cabinet  is  of  convenient  size  to  be  examined  by 
members  of  the  class,  and  by  its  use  each  step  in  the  culture 
of  silk  can  be  easily  explained.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  we 
have  sold  hundreds  of  these  cabinets  to  many  of  the  best 
schools,  academies,  and  colleges  of  this  country  and  in 
every  case  they  have  given  entire  satisfaction. 

l^pCAUTiON :  Several  imitations  of  this  cabinet,  which 
contain  cheap  specimens  of  no  scientific  value,  are  offered 
for  sale  by  unscrupulous  dealers.  Remember  we  are  the 
originators  and  are  the  only  firm  making  the  genuine 
“Teachers’  Silk  Culture  Cabinet.”  We  will  consider  it  a 
favor  if  our  friends  will  report  to  us  the  names  of  any 
agent  or  dealer  offering  for  sale  one  of  our  Teachers’  Cabi¬ 
nets  under  a  different  name.  Such  infringements  will  be 
prosecuted  promptly. 

The  price  of  the  Cabinet  is  $2.50,  express  charges  to  be 
paid  by  the  purchaser. 

Corticelli  Silk  Mills,  Florence,  Mass. 


45 


Box  of  Two  Corticelli  Cocoons 


For  those  who  want  samples  in  addition  to  the  Teach¬ 
ers’  Silk  Culture  Cabinet  and  Silk  Culture  Chart  we  furnish 
two  cocoons  spun  by  genuine  Corticelli  Silkworms,  packed 
in  a  neat  little  box.  These  boxes  make  very  attractive 


souvenirs  and  many  scholars  are  only  too  glad  to  buy  these 
to  take  home.  Teachers  will  please  notice  that  we  make  a 
special  offer  on  orders  for  large  lots.  Each  box  contains 
two  cocoons.  Price,  by  mail,  postpaid,  1  box,  5  cents ;  10 
boxes,  40  cents;  25  boxes,  75  cents. 

We  invite  correspondence  with  teachers  desiring  speci¬ 
mens  for  schoolroom  use.  All  questions  will  be  cheerfully 
answered  if  a  2-cent  stamp  is  inclosed  for  reply.  We 
are  anxious  to  help  every  school  to  obtain  what  it  needs. 

Corticelli  Silk  Mills,  Florence,  Mass. 


46 


Teachers’  Silk  Culture  Chart 


This  chart  has  over  thirty  engravings  showing  the 
different  steps  in  the  culture  and  manufacture  of  silk. 
Printed  on  heavy  coated  cardboard  with  reinforced  top 


and  bottom  and  cord  for  hanging  to  schoolroom  wall. 
Price,  20  cents,  carefully  packed  in  pasteboard  tube  for 
mailing,  or  will  be  sent  by  express,  charges  to  be  paid  by 
purchaser,  for  12  cents.  Address 

Corticelli  Silk  Mills,  Florence,  Mass. 


47 


TRADE 


Many  attempts  have  been  made  to  find  a  substitute  for  silk,  espe¬ 
cially  for  sewing  purposes.  Cotton  thread,  in  imitation  of  silk,  is  sold 
under  various  names,  but  vegetable  fiber  becomes  worthless  if  mildew 
from  dampness  gets  in  its  work,  whereas  silk  is  in  its  element  when 
wet,  as  the  following  incident  proves  :  In  1874  a  silk  mill  was  totally 
destroyed  by  the  breaking  of  the  reservoir  dam,  and  sewing  silk  was 
scattered  for  miles  below,  and  has  been  plowed  up  by  farmers  fre¬ 
quently  since  and  found  to  have  its  original  strength.  A  tangled 
mass,  weighing  several  pounds,  was  found  in  1901,  having  been  twenty- 
seven  years  in  the  mud  at  the  bottom  of  the  mill  pond.  After  wash¬ 
ing  and  drying,  the  color  (black)  was  good,  its  luster  fair,  and 
its  strength  'U'liiTHpuived.  Manufacturers,  tailors,  dressmakers,  and 
women  everywhere  should  profit  by  this  hint.  In  fact  it  is  penny 
wise  and  pound  foolish  ”  to  use  poor  material  in  a  needle  for  any  pur¬ 
pose,  and  the  growing  popularity  of  Corticelli  Silk  indicates  increasing 
wisdom  of  the  people  on  this  subject.  Use  silk,  not  cotton,  for  all 
your  sewing. 

CORTICELLI  SILK  MILLS 


MARK 


ZEESE'WllKINSON  CO.  N.  V 


GETTY  CENTER  LIBRARY  CONS 

TS  1650  S58  1911  BKS 

c.  1  Corticelll  Silk  Mill 

Silk  ;  its  origin,  culture,  and  manufact 


3  3125  00180  9330 


